Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

marker

comment

right 

(

2)

mark the boundaries between stages of the discourse (between the handing over

of money and the signing of the sales invoice)

well

marks a topic shift (to the topic of the weather)

great 

(

2) and mark both the conclusion of the transaction and (simultaneously) both parties’

good

mutual satisfaction and informal sociability

there you go

marks the completion of the handing over of goods and receipt in an informal,

friendly way

Formal interactions

Such informal markers as occur in the shop transaction may not be appropriate in

other social contexts (e.g. transacting a last will and testament with a lawyer,

receiving a parking fine from a traffic warden), even though the same

organisational functions may be performed.

Discourse markers often indicate power relationships in the ways they are used

to structure and control the discourse. In the following extract from a

conversation between a university professor and a PhD student, the professor uses

discourse markers which indicate his authority in the conversation and his ability

to control it (marked in bold). The student does not have the same access to

conversational control in this situation. Also, neither of the two speakers uses

212 | From discourse to social contexts

Cambridge Grammar of English

---

markers such as great or there you go, which might project too informal a

relationship in this context:

The = sign indicates an utterance which is cut short

The + sign indicates an interrupted turn which continues at the next + sign

[A is a university professor, B is a PhD student]

A: I told you officially if you’re registered for a PhD all along+ 

B: Yeah. 

A: +then we don’t need to worry. I just need to confirm that progress is

satisfactory. 

B: I see. My worry is, is the feeling, my worry is, is whether you like what I’m

doing or not. That’s my feeling. 

A: Ah well if I didn’t like it, I would have told you. 

B: I see. 

A: Mm. I’m very happy. I wasn’t happy a year ago+ 

B: I know. 

A: +but now I’m happy. 

B: So I’m going to apply for another year in=

A: Yes. 

B: So this is only till the end of June+ 

A: Good. 

B: +so I hope+ 

A: Good. 

B: +you know that by June we can= 

A: Well by June I should be able to say that everything is in place. The

hypotheses are formulated. Evidence is produced. You know, forty thousand

words have been written, which nearly they have. 

B: Uhuh. 

A: Erm literature review completed. Er and some analysis completed. And so

on. And that the remaining year will be spent putting the finishing and final

touches to the thesis because you’ll have to submit it in about April next

year so that we can examine you in June next year and you can have time to

do any corrections that are deemed before going home in August. Or

September. Er. That’s the way to see it isn’t it. 

Yeah. 

B: Yeah. Mm. 

A: Okay. Er, I must go off to a meeting.